There will be about 40 local vendors, along with speakers, a children's area and more.

Parking and admission are free.

Fact Box

If You Go:

What: 9th annual

March in the Park

When: Saturday

from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Where: Jaycee Park, 4125 SE 20th Place

Details:

Free and

open to the public

"This is our main fundraiser for operating expenses and things that we do for the community," club member Carolyn France, who is the event co-chair with club member Judy Peltier, said.

Proceeds from the event fund scholarships for high school seniors who want to pursue a career in ecology or biology, as well as scholarships for local children to attend a youth camp in Florida.

"It is for kids who are interested in our ecology and agriculture," she said.

France added that the club maintains three public gardens in the Cape with the monies.

"We also help with the landscaping for the Habitat for Humanity homes," she said.

An estimated 900 to 950 people turned out for last year's event.

"Hopefully, it will be the same or more," France said of this year. "We netted about $7,000."

The vendors will have plant-related items for sale, such as flower pots, art and gardening supplies. There will be five non-profits, including Trafalgar Middle School and Cape Coral High School.

"We've got several plant nurseries that are coming," she said.

"They're all going to Florida-friendly plants, which means there will be no invasive species of plants," France added, noting that the garden club will have a booth featuring plants raised by its members.

The purchase selections will range from small bushes, to flowering plants.

"Some of the nurseries will have bigger plants," she said.

France noted that all of the plants are inspected by a state inspector before the event.

"He will throw out any plants that are diseased or infested with bugs," she said.

Hourly presentations will be given during the day, including:

n 10 a.m.: Barbara Meyer on "Good Bugs, Bad Bugs"

n 11 a.m.: Jaimie Guerra on "Aquaponics"

n Noon: Trafalgar Middle School on "Growing Wheat As A New Health Crop"

n 1 p.m.: Vanessa Hazelton on "How To Make Baskets Out Of Palm Fronds"

n 2 p.m.: Paula Novander on "Color In Your Garden"

There will be an Ask the Expert table on site, manned by Master Gardeners.

"They can get all kinds of information on Florida-friendly landscaping," France said.

"A lot of people will bring pictures of a plant if they want to know what it is," she added.

The Kids Booth will offer free activities for the family.

"There'll be craft things that they can make and take with them," France said.

"There'll be face painting this year," she added.

Drawings will be held throughout the day. The main prizes up for grabs include four tickets to the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, four tickets to the Cultural Park Theater, two tickets to the Edison & Ford Winter Estates, a rain barrel hand-painted by a member and a garden cart from Home Depot.

"We have filled it with all kinds of garden-related things," France said.

There are also numerous prizes that have been donated by the vendors and others.

Food and drinks will be available for purchase.

Organizers encouraged the public to swing by on Saturday.

"They will get a chance to see plants that will do well in this area, talk to experts and get advice, and see some garden-related items," she said. "It's just a fun day."